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BRAIN, DRAWING From desire to rupture - 1. Representation of what it happenning in the brain at the birth of love desire. This mechanism occurs also in the first stage (alarm reaction) of the stress response (perception of a danger). Blue arrows: The hippocampus (memory area, in yellow) and the amygdala (centre of emotions, in violet) send information to the prefrontal cortex (centre of reasoning and decision-making, in green), that stimulates on its turn the hypothalamus (centre of corporal and hormonal reactions, in blue). The hypothalamus releases some dopamine (of which the level is represented on the left of the illustration). The body is then bombarded of hormones. Reactions : heart palpitations, red on the cheeks, legs trembling... Red arrows : Stimulated by the secretion of dopamine, the nucleus accumbens (centre of addiction, in pink) stimulates the brain and the prefrontal cortex to push for action. Green arrow : The prefrontal cortex (centre of reasoning) moderates the action of the nucleus accumbens. See.